


What Else is New?

by donovanpsn



Series: Descendants Songfics [2]
Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: M/M, Sad, Sorry Not Sorry, This is a monster, like way sadder than i thought it would be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:10:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5778013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donovanpsn/pseuds/donovanpsn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jay does stupid, stupid things when he drinks and Carlos, the little angel he is, always forgives him. However, everyone has a breaking point.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Last Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you enjoy reading this monster of a fic!  
> (A songfic based off of "The Last Time" by Taylor Swift and Gary Lightwood)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay gets drunk and Carlos gets hurt, but what else is new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy putting yourself through hell while reading this. It was painful to write. I apologize in advance.

        Jay stumbled his way through the halls of Auradon Prep at an ungodly hour in the morning, somehow finding his way through the winding maze of classrooms and dorms, somehow managing to avoid the faculty, even in his half drunk, half hung over state. He had had a long night. He couldn’t exactly remember much of it, but he does remember going to the party the tourney team had thrown as a post-win celebration. He also remembers Carlos going home early because of a headache or homework or something. After that, things started to get hazy. However, he distinctly remembers the pretty cheerleader that offered to take him home to “properly reward him for scoring the winning goal”.

        “Fuck, it’s late.” He slurred, clutching his head with his right hand as it started to pound. “Whatever. Car is probably asleep by now, anyways.” He reasoned with himself, somehow managing to find his way to the door to their shared dorm. He didn’t bother knocking, choosing instead to sneak in quietly so he wouldn’t risk waking his boyfriend up. His plan didn’t exactly go as well as he was hoping, though, because he hadn’t been expecting a little brown dog to be laying by threshold. He cursed loudly as he tripped over Dude, the poor dog letting out a yowl before darting under Carlos’ bed. That’s when Jay noticed that the lights were on and that Carlos was sitting up in his bed with his arms crossed, as if he were waiting for Jay.

        “Where have you been, Jayden.” Carlos demanded, the seriousness dripping from his words proving that it was not a question that could be avoided.

        Shocked into partial sobriety by his boyfriend’s tone, Jay straightened up, trying not to wince at the harsh light that was assaulting his hung-over eyes. “Um… I was with this cheerleader I met at the party.” Jay admitted, his usual skill in lying abandoning him due to his impaired motor skills. He is never touching another drink again.

        Carlos twitched, seemingly caught off guard by Jay’s honesty. He had been expecting a lie and truthfully, if it hadn’t been for Chad, of all people, texting Carlos a picture of Jay dancing with some girl in a cheerleader uniform, he probably would’ve swallowed the lie, just like he’s been doing for the past few months they’ve been together.  Now, however, he knows for sure. He knows exactly what Jay must’ve been doing with that girl until four in the morning. “Okay. And what were you doing with her _all night_?” interrogated, his usually happy chocolate brown eyes narrowing dangerously.

        Jay cleared his throat, nervously tugging at his collar as he answered with, “We were just… studying. She was trying to help me catch up in chem class.” Jay let his eyes wander, never landing on Carlos and never lingering on the same spot for more than a few breaths.

        “You’re lying to me, again. Right through your teeth, Jay. Right to my _face_. I thought you respected me more than that.” Carlos sighed, his demeanor visibly deflating. “Can’t you just tell me the truth, for once?”

        “What are you talking about, Car? I always tell you the truth! And I do respect you. I respect you more than anyone!” he assured desperately, a sick feeling coiling around his heart. He could feel his gut twisting. He knows he’s caught. Why is he still lying?

        Carlos shook his head, pulling his sleek, black and white iPhone 6 out from the folds of the blanket in his lap. He unlocked it with his thumbprint and tossed it at Jay, knowing the thief’s survival skills would kick in, even with how drunk he is.

        Jay frowned deeply as he caught the phone without thinking, hesitating before glancing down at the screen. He winced at the bright light, waiting for his eyes to adjust before he could truly see what was being shown to him. When the image finally registered, he felt all the bile he had been holding back from the alcohol rush at him at once, and he had to throw the phone back on the bed and run towards the bathroom that was, thankfully, just across the hall from their bedroom.

        He knelt in front of the toilet, throwing up every drop of alcohol he had consumed that night. However, no matter how painful throat felt from being torn up by his stomach acids, nothing could compare to the pain of realizing just how terribly he had fucked up. He knew that drinking would end terribly, but he had scored the winning goal and won the championship game. He thought he would have been able to control himself.

        Now that the alcohol had mostly left his system, he was suddenly fully aware of what exactly he had done, and he found himself throwing up all over again. What’s worse is, this isn’t even the first time. It’s like every time he gets drunk, the old him makes an appearance and he does the most terrible things, which he always hates himself for once he’s achieved total sobriety. Things that would be encouraged, back on the Isle. Things like cheat on the love of his life.

Carlos sighed, again- he seems to be doing a lot of that, lately. He shifted in his bed, kicking off the thick sheets and sitting up straighter against his pillow. With Jay temporarily gone from the room, he felt he could finally let himself breathe. Unfortunately, with every gasp of air came a shaky sob. How could Jay do this to him?  Deep down, he knew that it was happening. He knew that his relationship with Jay was just too good to be true. No fighting, no tension, no tears? That’s not possible. He knew something had to go wrong at some point. However, he had always hoped that somehow, he would be proven wrong. He had prayed so hard to whatever deity would listen that he was just being a paranoid monster. Now he sees that he was right all along.

        He looked up as Jay stumbled back into the room, looking green and, truthfully, like a mess. “You look terrible.” Carlos observed, trying as hard as he possibly could to cover his sadness with hostility. The waver in his voice gave him away.

        “That’s what happens when you fuck over the love of your life.” Jay mumbled quietly, his eyes downcast and dark with shame. He wrapped his strong arms around himself, looking more fragile and vulnerable than Carlos had ever seen him.

        Carlos stood, making his way over to Jay one shaky legs and unsure feet. “How can you do what you did and then call me the love of your life? If you ever actually loved me, you would have told her no. You would have told _all_ of them no, Jay. People that are in love don’t cheat.” He huffed, his voice inflating and pushing in on Jay from all sides.

        “I didn’t mean it, Car! I promise! I was just drunk and-”

        “I don’t care, Jay. I don’t care about excuses and I don’t care if you were drunk and I don’t care if you meant it or not. All that matter is you cheated on me and… and I’m breaking up with you.” Carlos choked, his eyes welling up with the tears he had been holding back all night.

        “What? No!” Jay cried, his eyes wide and terrified as he latched himself onto Carlos’ smaller body. He wrapped his arms around the petite boy as well as he could, crushing Carlos to his chest. “Please don’t leave me, Carlos. You’re the only person that always believed in me. You’re the only person that’s ever been good for me. Please, you can’t leave me. I don’t know what I would do without you.” He sobbed, burying his face in Carlos’ neck. Naturally, he towers over Carlos, but in that moment, he seemed to be so much smaller.

        Carlos sniffed, swallowing down a sob of his own as he struggled to disentangle himself from his boyfriend’s (ex-boyfriend’s?) grip. “Let me go, Jay.” He tried to sound strong, but even he could hear the weakness in his voice.

        “No! Carlos, please!” Jay begged, sliding down to his knees in front of the love of his life. He wrapped himself around Carlos’ torso, pressing his wet cheek into his lover’s adorable tummy. “I don’t know how to live without you. I don’t know how to be myself if you aren’t at my side. We’ve known each other for years, Car. Doesn’t that mean anything? Every single time, I come back home to you. No matter what I do or who I do it with, I never stay with them. I always end up back at your door. Even if I’m drunk and not thinking straight. Doesn’t that prove that I love you?” Jay cried, tightening his hold on Carlos’ thin waist. “No matter what I do, I always imagine you sitting here all alone and I come back because I know that looking into your eyes and knowing that our love is real would make me feel so much better. Please, Carlos. This is the last time I’m ever going to ask you for this. This is the last time. I promise. It’s been you all along. Just please, don’t break me.”

        “What about me, Jay? You can break my heart in the blink of an eye. You’ve done it before and I know you’ll just do it again. You’re wearing your best apology, but I was there to watch you leave. Every time, Jay. I tried so hard to act like you weren’t killing me and I prayed that my assumptions were wrong but… You’ve hurt me too much, Jay. Every time I let you back in you just disappear. How am I ever going to trust you again?”

        “Car, please! I won’t ever hurt you again!” he swore fiercely, burrowing closer to Carlos’ warm body. “I love you, Carlos de Vil.”

        “I love you too, Jay, but I just can’t do this anymore. I need time. Just… I can’t deal with the lying and the cheating and the hurting anymore. I’ve had too much of it. I can’t stay with you.” He sighed, his own tears dripping off his chin, into Jay’s hair. “I’m sorry.”

        He slid down in Jay’s arms, cupping his ex-boyfriend’s wet cheeks in his small hands. He leaned forward, his eyes flittering shut as he kissed him for one last time. He tried to ignore the sticky taste of lip gloss and the fireworks that still blew up behind his eyelids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments always appreciated! Thank you so, so, so much for reading!


	2. Every Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos is depressed and Jay is in love, but what else is new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of Every Time by Britney Spears. Not gonna lie, it killed me to write this.

      Carlos sighed, hearing the door to his single dorm open gently. It’s bound to be Evie, again. A tentative knock means one of the Hero Kids is checking up on him. A frustrated slam means it’s Mal’s turn to visit. A gentle entrance, however, could only be Evie. He sat up, his bleary, red rimmed eyes unfocused as he waited for the blueberry princess to approach his bed. He winced when the light flicked on, his eyes finally focusing on something again, for the first time in at least twelve hours.

            “It’s another gift.” Evie announced, stepping over the various takeout containers and dirty clothes strewn around the room that Carlos never got around to picking up. “A bouquet, a box, and a letter. I shook the box. It sounds like it’s a necklace, this time.” Carlos sat up and observed the items in his best friend’s arms with a tired frown, taking in the black and white bouquet of roses, terribly wrapped gift box, and tear stained envelope.

            “Just, put them with the others, I guess.” He mumbled softly, his voice crackling from lack of use. He only ever talks to Evie, really. She’s the only one that can add just the right amount of pressure to make him open up.

            Evie sighed, placing the gifts down in Carlos’ closet. The small room was already bursting with months’ worth of wilted bouquets and letters and presents of all shapes and sizes. “You’re gonna have to acknowledge him at some point, C. He’s not gonna stop until you do. You know how stubborn he can be.”

            “Why can’t I just pretend he doesn’t exist anymore?” Carlos huffed, flopping back onto his thick sheets with a delicate pout marring his face.

            “Carlos.” Evie tutted, seating herself primly at the edge of her best friend’s bed. “You’ve been broken up for almost five months, and he’s been leaving things at your door every day since you moved out of his dorm. He isn’t gonna stop, and you’re running out of places to store these things.” She reasoned gently, reaching out to place a hand on the lump of boy in front of her.

            Carlos sighed deeply- God, he does so much sighing nowadays- and rolled over, facing Evie completely. “I can’t see him, E. You know that. It cuts me up just walking past him on my way to class. Can you imagine how bad it would be for me to have an actual conversation with him?”

            “I know, sweetie, but maybe it won’t be so terrible. It might give you the closure that you never got. You spent your last days together at each others’ throats. Maybe a calm, grown up _conversation_ can help you be okay again.” She urged, rubbing soothing circles into Carlos’ hip.

            “I don’t know, E. I haven’t even been able to open one of his hundreds of letters. I have no idea how I’d survive hearing him say everything that’s written in them.” he admitted weakly, fiddling with the rumpled blanket in his lap.

            “Just… promise me you’ll at least think about it, okay?” Evie pleaded, “I think it’ll be good for both of you.”

            “Okay. I promise.” He swore, knowing that no matter what, he would probably end up putting off any sort of communication with Jay for as long as he could.

            “Okay. Now get up and get dressed, before you make us both late for class. Remedial Goodness is a very important subject, you know.” She teased, standing up and dusting herself off as she watched Carlos run around the room. Even as badly as he’s doing, he’s still an amazing student.

 

            Apparently, the world just really hates Carlos. First it sticks him with Cruella de Vil as a mother. As if that wasn’t enough, it gave him a boyfriend that cheated on him and broke his heart. Now, it let said boyfriend corner him in the back of the library between classes with a red envelope and a desperate gleam in his eyes. He literally just turned fifteen five days ago. What could he have possibly done to be treated so terribly?

            He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he fixed his ex-boyfriend with the most villainous glare he could muster up. “What do you want, Jayden? I made it exceedingly clear when I moved out that I never wanted you to talk to me again.” He growled, mentally jumping for joy because holy fuck his voice actually didn’t crack.

            “Please, Car. Just… take this. Hear me out.” Jay begged, his eyes wide and glistening as he pushed the envelope into Carlos’ hands. “Please. Just read this. After that, you’ll never have to deal with me again. I promise.” He swore, looking incredibly small, even as he towered over the shorter boy in front of him.

            Carlos gasped when he was pulled into a sudden, tight hug, but he didn’t have time to fight back before Jay pulled away. “I’m sorry, Carlos. For everything.” He whispered in a voice so heartbreakingly sincere that it twisted Carlos’ broken heart. Carlos didn’t even have it in him to fight back when Jay dropped a kiss to his cheek and ran out of the library.

 

            Carlos was pacing back and forth in his room, inwardly going over the pros and cons of reading the letter that he had left on his desk. On one hand, it could finally give him the strength to really end things with Jay and move on. On the other hand, it could just suck him back in and ruin any progress he’d made towards his independence from Jay.

            “Just open it already!” Mal snapped, tired of watching Carlos pace. She was tired of the whole situation, really. She feels awful about what happened between them, but it’s been months and it’s time for them to grow up, already.

            Evie huffed, elbowing Mal in the side. “Ignore her, C. You take as much time as you need.” She soothed, ignoring Mal’s wicked glare.

            Carlos took a deep breath, falling into his desk chair unceremoniously. “No, E. Mal is right. I just need to get this over with, already. I need to decide if I want to move on or give him another chance.” He sighed, pulling the letter into his lap. “But… could you give me some privacy? I wanna read it alone.” He mumbled quietly, his eyes glued to the bright red envelope.

            He didn’t hear what they said as they left, and maybe they didn’t say anything at all. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is this, right now. He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and braced himself for whatever he was about to expose himself to.

            He took a deep, calming inhale and opened the envelope, pulling the paper out and folding it. Seeing Jay’s sloppy, direct handwriting hand his heart in shambles.

            _“Carlos... Please, God, if you’re reading this, don’t stop. I know you probably ignored all of my other letters, but I don’t blame you for that. You have every right to hate me, and I’m not writing this to get you to forgive me. I just want you to know how I really feel about you and about everything that I fucked up._

_I miss you. I miss you much, Carlos. I never knew something could hurt so much. Every time I see you or even think about you it feels like someone is physically ripping my heart out of my chest. It’s like this unbearable ache and it never goes away and I hate myself more every time I feel it because I know that it’s my entire fault._

_During the day, it’s not as bad. I try my hardest to ignore it, but that means ignoring anything that could remind me of it. I can’t pay attention in class because I know that you would be so proud of me if I did. I can’t steal anything because it reminds me of when I taught you how to steal, too. I can’t even see my best friends because I know that they know what happened and I’m so fucking ashamed of what I did to you that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to look them in the eye again._

_It’s so much harder at night. I tried to move so that I wouldn’t be stuck in a half empty dorm that we used to share, but Ben told me that he couldn’t pull any strings because all of the single dorms are taken. Sometimes I think that he’s just punishing me for what I did, but I know he’s too nice to do that. I wouldn’t blame him, though. I make believe you’re there with me, on your side of the big bed we made with our separate mattresses. It’s the only way I can see anything clearly. It only works until I fall asleep, though. I see you in my dreams and in my nightmares. Your face haunts me, Carlos. Every night before I sleep, I pray that your face will go away, but I never mean it. I would rather live through a thousand nightmares with you than one happy dream without you._

_I used to fly so easily, with you by my side. Now I fall every time I try. You are my wings, Carlos. My brain. My other half. Without you with me, I feel so fucking small, and I can’t stand it. I’m not used to being weak. I’ve never been weak. I’ve never been so scared of anything. But you terrify me, Carlos. You scare the living hell out of me because I know you could crush my heart so easily and I know that there is no reason for you not to._

_I made it rain. I ruined everything. Please, God, please forgive me. You don’t have to love me or like me or even speak to me but please, please don’t hate me. I’m begging you._

_My weakness caused you pain but please don’t let that hold you back. I want you to be happy again, even if that means I can never see you. I just want you to be able to wake up and smile and love yourself like you used to love me. Please, please just do me that one last thing. I don’t want your life to be ruined because of me. Just be happy again, Carlos. Move on from me. I was never good enough for you. I’m nothing better than a villain. Only a true villain could hurt someone so beautiful. I belonged on the Isle._

_I’m so, so sorry, Carlos. If I could go back and undo it, I would. I would give up my life for you. You’re my soul mate and I will always regret breaking your heart. I want you to be able to continue living in Auradon without worrying about bumping into me whenever you leave your room. I talked to Ben about it, and I’m leaving Auradon tonight. I’m going back to the Isle, where I belong._

_I will always, always love you, Carlos. You will always have my heart, but this is goodbye. I wish you nothing but happiness._

_-Jay     ”_

            Carlos gasped, his grip on the paper loosening until it fluttered to the floor. “He can’t go back… Our parents would kill him!” he cried, deciding in that very moment what he wanted. He ran out of his room and into the halls of Auradon Prep, not caring that he was dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers and Jay’s oversized tourney jersey in the middle of December.

            He ran through the maze of hallways, the tears ripped out of him by the letter drying on his cheeks. He ran as fast as he could, bursting through the first school exit he could find. He darted through the snow-covered gardens, ignoring the piercing cold seeping in to his bare skin. His only thoughts were of Jay and stopping him before he really left. He isn’t ready to say goodbye.

            “Jay!” he cried, seeing a pitch-black limo pulling out of the long driveway in front of the school. “Jay, no!” he ran as fast as he could, his lungs and legs burning in protest.

            When he finally reached the driveway, however, the limo was long gone. He could see it driving down the road, and his heart plummeted to the floor. He fell to his knees in the thick snow, feeling more defeated than he did the night he broke up with Jay.

            “Jay…” he whispered, pulling his knees up and hugging them to his chest. “I’m so sorry.” He sobbed into his arms, his shoulders shaking from his cries and the cold combined.

            “C-Carlos?” a weak, hesitant voice spoke up. “Carlos? Oh my god, what are you doing here?” Jay gasped, realizing that his assumption was correct. He could recognize Carlos anywhere. He jogged forward, falling to his knees beside the shivering boy. He tugged off his thick jacket as quickly as he could, throwing it over his ex-boyfriend’s shaking shoulders. He took a second to blush at his tourney jersey swallowing up Carlos’ frame, but forced himself to focus on what was important.

            “Jay!?” Carlos cried, launching himself into Jay’s arms. He wrapped his own around Jay’s neck, pressing himself as close as he could to the thief. “Jay! I thought I missed you!” he choked, his grip on his ex tightening.

            “No, my ride isn’t coming for another ten minutes…” Jay mumbled, before he registered what Carlos’ presence implied. “Wait… you came for me?” he asked quietly, his voice laced with a fearful hope. What if Carlos had only come to tell him off? Then again, if that were true, he wouldn’t be crying into Jay’s neck right now.

            “Of course I did, you idiot!” Carlos shouted, pulling back to punch Jay in the arm. “Don’t you ever try to go back there again! That’s suicide! Our parents would murder you!” he reprimanded loudly, his eyes watery as they glared up at Jay.

            “I… I thought I deserved that, after what I did to you.” Jay admitted, his eyes downcast and filled with shame.

            “I don’t even care about that, right now I just… don’t ever, ever try to leave me again, Jay. I can’t live without you. I was fooling myself, thinking that I could.”

            “Does this mean you forgive me?” Jay asked quietly, tilting his head so that he could meet Carlos’ eyes.

            “I forgive you. Of course I do. I can’t work past what you did right away but I just… I know now that I can’t live my life if I’m not living it with you. I’m willing to work through anything, so long as we do it together.” He swore, reaching up to cup Jay’s cheek with a cold hand. “Will you please stay?”

            “Of course I will, Carlos. I would do anything for you.” Jay whispered, putting his hand over Carlos’ on his cheek.

            Carlos nodded once, sated by Jay’s promise, and leaned forward, pressing his lips against Jay’s once more.

            True love’s kiss can break any spell, and fix any problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are encouraged! Please and thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated! I love hearing what you think of my work!


End file.
